Sanitary cover for drink mixers



Feb. 5, 1952 c, H. DOUGLASS SANITARY COVER FOR DRINK MIXERS Filed Aug. 51, 1950 I N V EN TOR. Charles H Do uylczss Patented Feb. 5, 1952 UNITED STATES PATENT, OFFICE SANITARY COVER FOR DRINK MIXERS Charles H. Douglass, Eureka, Kans.

Application August 31, 1950, Serial No. 182,524

1 This invention relates to a detachable sanitary protecting cover for food or drink mixing machines, and more particularly to a device for keeping the paddle or agitator of the mixing machine, and the drive shaft therefor, covered and protected when the machine is not in operation. a

The object of the invention is to provide a protector for the agitator and driving shaft of a drink mixer which is of simple construction, and convenient to use and operate.

' and claims, and while the arrangement herein disclosed may be varied as to some details, the embodiment particularly shown and described has been found to be well suited for the purposes for which it is designed.

In the accompanying drawing:

Figure l is an elevational view, partly in section, of the protector according to this invention showing the device arranged in its operative relation to the mixing machine;

Figure 2 is a full scale elevational view of one form of the protector showing details of the telescopic arrangement of the parts, and with the lower portion thereof broken away to show the protector mounting means;

Figure 3 is a front elevational view of a general form of drink mixing machine showing the manner in which a soda glass is mounted thereon in operative relation with agitator of the mixer; and

Figure 4 is a similar view showing schematically the soda glass being removed from the machine and the protector according to this invention being placed over the mixer agitator and 'its associated drive shaft; and

6 Claims. (C1. 259.1)

5 shaft driven by the motor I2.

and some portion of the shaft, when the mixer is in operation, are immersed in the liquid being mixed.

- at its upper end a motor I! and a disc-like cap 13, the latter being adapted to cooperate with a glass or other form of container M in such a manner as to cap the container and close a switch (not shown) actuated by the compression of spring I5 whereby the motor I2 is energized from a source of electrical energy received through the electrical cord l6. mentalinform and provided with a flanged edge A container support ll, seg- -l l is affixed to the lower portion of the stand I l.

The flanged edge of support I! is transversely curved in the form of an inverted crescent in order to cause the container I4 to be elevated as it is moved into a vertical position substantially parallel with the vertical axis of the stand This upward movement of the container is imparted tocap l3, and it, in turn, compresses spring If) to close the motor switch (not shown) and energize the motor I2. The agitators l8 and [9 of the beverage mixing machine are made of a magnetizable material and are affixed to a The agitators At the conclusion of the mixing operation, the

"container with the mixed drink therein is reaffixed thereto,'are left exposed to the atmosphere, air-borne contaminants, dust, etc. It is to avoid this latter unsanitary condition that the device according to tliis invention is provided.

As will be seen in Figure '2, the sanitary cover generally designated as 2|, comprises an elongated hollow tube of non-magnetic material preferably, although not necessarily, made up of two telescopic sections 22 and 23. The tube, in the position shown, is open at its upper end and closed at its lower end, and has an internal diameter throughout the length of its elongated hollow portion slightlylarger than the external diameter of the agitators l8 and I9. A small permanent magnet 24 which may be made of Alnico" or other permanently magnetized material is mounted within the tube adjacent its closed end as shown. v

Referring once more to Figure 1, wherein the sanitary cover is shown in its operative relation to the mixing machine, it will be seen that, when the sanitary cover 2| is placed over the agitators and their associated drive shaft, the permanent magnet 24 will be attracted to the magnetizable material from which the lower of the agitators is fabricated, and that, the cover will be held in its ease of use.

position as a result of this magnetic attraction between the magnet 24 and the agitator 18. If the sanitary cover is comprised of telescopic sections, it will be obvious that the overall length of the cover may easily be adjusted manually to accommodate mixing machine agitator drive shafts of different lengths before the cover is placed thereover.

An alternative form of arranging the magnetic mounting means for the device is-shown in Figure 5. In this embodiment of the invention, an outwardly extending flange 25 is formed at the upper and open end of the tube portion 22 and a plurality of permanent bar magnets 24' are embedded therein or attached thereto.

When this form of the invention is used, the mixer cap I3, or a similarly shaped flange mounted on or fabricated as an integral part of the motor l2 housing, is comprisedof magnetizable material. Thus, the cover is supported from-its upper end by the magnetic attraction between the magnets 24 and the cap 13 or a similarly located and shaped ring aflixed to the motor l2. v

One of the main advantages to be derived from a sanitary cover according to this invention is This is schematically set forth in Figure 4 wherein the mixed drink container is represented as being removed from the mixer by one hand of the operator at the same time the sanitary cover is being placed thereon by the operators other hand.

A further advantage may be obtained from the sanitary cover if the telescopic sections thereof are arranged with a relatively free movement therebetween, whereby, if it should be of too great overall length, it will automatically adjust itself to the correct length, when the upper end thereof is placed in engagement with the cap I3, without compressing spring 15 and actuating the motor switch (not shown).

While the sanitary protecting cover is indicated as circular in cross-section by the shading which appears on the drawing, itis to be understood that the term elongated hollow tube as used herein is intended to cover a tube having a polygonal as well as the illustrated circular crosssection.

It will thus be seen that there is provided a device in which the several objects of this invention are achieved and which is well adapted to meet the conditions of practical use for the purpose intended.

As variouspossible embodiments might be made of the above invention, two of which are illusl. A sanitary cover for the agitator and agita tor drive shaft of a drink mixer having at least one component part of magnetizable material, comprising a tubular member cinch-magnetic material open at one end and closed at the other and adapted to receive therein through the open end thereof the mixer agitator and drive shaft, the open end of the tubular member lying in a single plane, and a body of permanently magnetized material arranged at one end of the member and afiixed thereto, said body and said part being adapted, when the mixer agitator and drive shaft are received within the member, to establish a magnetic holding relation there'oetween whereby the member is supported about and encloses the mixeragitator and drive shaft.

2. In combination with a drink mixer having at least one component part of magnetizable material, a sanitary cover for the agitator and drive shaft thereof, said cover comprising a tubular member of non-magnetic material open at one end and closed at the other and adapted to receive therein through the open end thereof the mixer agitator and drive shaft, the open end of the tubular member lying in a single plane,

- and a body of permanently magnetized material arranged at one end of the member and affixed thereto, said body and said part being adapted, when the mixer agitator and drive shaft are received within the member, to establish a magneticholding relation therebetween whereby the member is supported about and encloses the mixer agitator and drive shaft,

3. A sanitary cover for the agitator and agitator drive shaft of a drink mixer according to claim 1 in which the internal diameter ofv the tubular member is in excess of the diameter of the agitator and the length thereof is Substantially equivalent to the length of the agitator drive shaft.

4. A sanitary cover for the agitator and agitator drive shaft of a drink mixer according to claim 1 in which. the tubular member is com- "the tubular portion of the member and adjacent the end closure thereof and in which the said part is the mixer agitator.

6. A sanitary cover forthe agitator and agitator drive shaft of a drink mixer according to claim 1 in which the member includes an outwardly extending flange, adjacent the open end thereof, and the said body comprises a plurality of bar magnets affixed to the said flange, and in which the said part is an outwardly extending disc surrounding the agitatordrive shaft and supported by the agitator drive shaft motor, the

disc being arranged in aplane parallel to the flange on said member and adjacent thereto. CHARLES H. DOUGLASS.

EFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the i of this patent:

' UNITED STATES PATENTS Cox July 4, 1950 

